The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-02

bodies to secure benefits for the living
he argued. am q practical demon.
stration OF medical theory you hold.
You believe that human fife can be
temporarily suspended, and you have
been ridiculed for your assertions.
Here is the opportunity to prove your
theory. | will die. All the doctors
will pronounce me dead. You shall
restore me to life. The case will make
you famous.
But your object is to escape from
prison, | protested.
Granted. | killed an old man,
who had only two or three years
to live, any how. have been shut up
two or three years for il. 1t was my
first and only crime, and Ihave bitter
ly repented it. Let me 90 out into
the world and shall be good man
under another name. The law will
suppose me dead and be satisfied
ain the end he overcame my fears
and scruples, and agreed to his
plans, but we were ballled at the very
outset by the fact that vacation was
coming on, while the college had more
subjects than it needed. This was
June, you will remember, and it would
be near October before Harneys plan
could be carried out We could safe
ly figure in this case the same us in all
Others. The prison doctor was an old
quack, who had secured his place
through politics. 1t was well known
among the medical fraternity that he
was stupid and ignorant, and that the
patients that took his doses were as
likely to die rs to mend. When q con-
Wet died, the case was nearly always
reported as typhoid fever. The old
fellow appeared to reason that this
was virulent disease, which he could
not be expected to cure, and consump.
ton, lung fever, and nearly every
thing else went down in his re.
ports as Tiefoid fever-badd case 1t
was his rule to get the body out of the
way as soon as possible. II convict
died early in the morning, he was bur-
led in the afternoon, or his body sent
to the college in the evening. If he died
at about dusk, his body was disposed
OF before midnight.
"'Convicts are useless critters, after
the breath leaves 'em, he SAID to me
on one occasion, and keeping u
corpse around here kinder discourages
the living.
"When | informed Harvey that it
would be three months before our
plans could be attempted, egrew des-
perate. lie felt certain in his own
mind that we should achieve success,
and the idea OF delay made him reck-
less. The prison graveyard was then
q part OF the city graveyard, or at
least separated only by fence. A dead
convict was lifted into u pine coffin,
the lid screwed down, and two men with
a one-horse wagon drove to the grave
yard and dumped the box into a three
foot hole, and filled the hole up.
There was no ceremony and no feeling.
l knew all these facts, for | had seen
several burials, but how Harvey could
know them was puzzle to me until
learned that he got them while in Jail
awaiting sentence. He now proposed
that he should die and be buried, and
that should dig him up and carry
him of, and wait for life to come.
This called tor far more nerve than
the other plan, and | would not give |
him an answer until | had found a
fellow enthusiast who entered into the .
plot with great alacrity. We rented |
D room, arranged for a horse and
wagon, provided ourselves with an
electric battery, various restoratives,
wine and food. and on the afternoon
Of the 21st day of June | promised
Harvey that we would be ready on
,he following night. He was greatly
slated, and assured me that il there
vas any hitch in the programme it
would not be his fault. When | left
him | went to the doctors Office liz
he prison, and after few general 70
marks, observed:
"'Well, doctor, is there much sick
lessY'
"'No, not much
"'We shan't want any more cadav-
RS before October
"'No, suppose not. Well, it isn't
much of job to plant EN-
"I was just talking with Harvey
70. $40. Hes looking powerful bad,
md Ipredict he won't live a mouth.
"Harneyl Oh, yes. was noticing
lin, the other day. Got all the
POINTS OF tiefoid he has, and he may
Irop off any day.
"'Well, give him decent burial,
octor. Good day.
81 had scored a point for my man.
The doctor was prepared for his death,
nd would make the usual record.
his is what happened at the prison
Don after l left: The doctor was in
ormed that Harvey was i'll, and he {
'ent in to see him and found him !
'verish and Eighty, with his pulse {
'ay up 7
UtSorrv for Won Harnav caid tho d